Chapter 12

It was the honest truth without a shred of lie. However, Ayla didn’t seem to think so at all. It was as if she was certain that Damian would never like her.

“Anyway, it’s not like that. The engagement, well, it just happened.”

“What do you mean it just happened?”

Ayla’s mind raced. She hadn’t even planned this fake engagement with Damian yet, and she was already facing a crisis. She needed to come up with a plausible excuse on her own for now. Serina knew nothing, and Ayla couldn’t tell her anything yet.

Finally, something occurred to Ayla. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but she decided to try it anyway.

Stay calm and composed. That’s what a lady should do. Remembering her former etiquette teacher’s words, Ayla spoke like a proper lady.

“I agreed to help Damian.”

“Why?”

“Actually, Damian is being blackmailed.”

“…By whom? Damian?”

Serina thought this was utter nonsense. Damian being blackmailed? She couldn’t believe it. Who was Damian? He was the esteemed and noble Crown Prince of this empire. Even in the academy, who would dare to blackmail the Crown Prince? If anyone could, it would probably only be Ayla.

Serina looked at Ayla with a completely unconvinced expression, but Ayla didn’t notice and continued speaking.

“Someone threatened to kill him if he doesn’t marry them. So we decided to do this until we find that person. It’s not a real engagement, more like a contract.”

“So you’re saying that by spreading rumors like this, that person will make a move?”

“That’s right.”

“Ayla.”

“Yes?”

“But didn’t you just come back from meeting the Emperor at the imperial palace?”

“Did I?”

“And you’re saying it’s fake? Don’t you think this is a bit much, even for you? An engagement that the Emperor himself will announce?”

“…”

Ayla couldn’t find any words to refute. Thinking about it, this excuse wasn’t adequate either. It had many loopholes. She racked her brain again. And finally, she blurted out an excuse that was like a last resort. It was the excuse she least wanted to use.

Ayla closed her eyes tightly, swallowed hard, and said,

“…Alright. Actually, you’re right, Serina. We do like each other. That’s why we got engaged.”

“Oh my goodness! See! I knew it, Ayla, you were just embarrassed!”

Serina poked Ayla again with a mischievous face, saying she knew it all along. Ayla forced a smile to hide her withering expression.

“So, who confessed first? Don’t tell me it was—”

“No!”

Ayla cut off Serina’s words with a loud voice, losing her ladylike composure. She knew what Serina was about to say. Ayla had no intention of bringing up her embarrassing history again.

“Damian. Damian confessed first.”

“Finally, Damian Lancaster has come to his senses!”

In front of others, he was always referred to as “His Highness, the esteemed Crown Prince,” but behind closed doors, he was just Damian Lancaster. Serina spoke as if she felt truly relieved. Ayla couldn’t quite understand her words, but she didn’t bother to question further. She just wanted to end this topic.

Serina felt so relieved that the nearly 10-year-long dance of avoidance had finally come to an end, she wanted to down some alcohol. A cold beer would be perfect for this occasion.

“Ayla. Let’s go drink to celebrate.”

Serina wanted to ask about Damian’s confession over drinks. But Ayla looked at her with wide, round eyes. Her expression was one of shock.

“Serina, you drink?”

At Ayla’s words, Serina avoided her gaze with a guilty look. According to current imperial law, drinking was allowed from the age of 18, and they were only 16.

Academy admission was possible from ages 13 to 15, and Gilrota, who entered at 15, was now 18 and in his fourth year, so he could drink legally. But they couldn’t. Which meant Serina had been drinking secretly.

Serina, fearing a stern lecture from Ayla, who could be considered the model student among model students, quickly changed the subject. Praising herself for coming up with this topic, which she thought was nothing short of genius, Serina asked with a mischievous face,

“Oh, right. Come to think of it, all those times you went to Caelum, those were dates?”

“W-What?”

Ayla looked at Serina in disbelief, completely forgetting about her drinking revelation. She was about to blurt out “What nonsense are you talking about?” but then remembered the excuse she had made earlier. She had clearly said, “We do like each other.” All those visits to Caelum had to be dates.

Ayla tried her best to maintain a ladylike composure while hiding her withering expression and said,

“…Well, I suppose so.”

“Oh my, oh my, look at you two. Huh? Going on secret dates, pretending it’s nothing, huh?”

Ayla could only smile at Serina’s fuss. She had no choice but to laugh it off. However, the next words couldn’t be brushed off with just a smile.

“Ayla. Then, you know.”

Serina gestured towards Ayla. Ayla, not understanding, followed her gesture. The two put their heads close together as if sharing a secret, and Serina asked in a whisper,

“So… how far have you two gone?”

“Gone?”

“Yeah. Gone.”

“What do you mean, ‘gone’?”

Ayla blinked with an innocent face. The only ‘progress’ she knew was in their studies. What on earth did she mean by making progress with Damian?

Seeing Ayla’s reaction, Serina asked, wondering if it could be true,

“Ayla. You do know how babies are made, right?”

“Of course. When a married couple consisting of a man and a woman engage in relations, afterward, in the woman’s uterus, the sperm and egg meet…”

“Okay, enough. Right, you know well. I’m talking about the stages leading up to that ‘engagement’. That’s what I mean by progress.”

Ayla pondered Serina’s words carefully. So, the stages leading up to a couple’s physical relationship. That’s what progress meant. The stages that occur before a couple engages in relations are…

Ayla’s face instantly turned bright red. Seeing Ayla’s flushed face, Serina finally looked satisfied and then broke into a sly smile.

“Judging by that reaction, you’ve gone quite far?”

“We haven’t. We haven’t gone anywhere at all, so you should leave now. I need to prepare for class.”

“No, no. You’ve clearly gone pretty far now.”

“We haven’t. Get out, quickly.”

Ayla hurriedly stood Serina up. This time, Serina reluctantly let herself be pushed out, but left Ayla with one last comment,

“Just don’t go over the speed limit!”

Bang.

The door closed with a loud noise. Ayla double-locked it. Although it was meaningless against Serina, a magic student, Ayla knew Serina wouldn’t come back in.

Ayla fanned herself, trying to cool her flushed face. All sorts of thoughts that a student shouldn’t have were floating around in her head. No, Ayla had never even thought about doing such things with Damian before.

“I’m going crazy. I’m going crazy, Ayla von Dürman. What are you thinking?”

Ayla shook her head, trying to shake off the thoughts. But they wouldn’t go away easily. Damian’s strong hands that always held her, and his lips that were red and full despite being a man…

“Right. Studying. Let’s get to studying.”

Ayla hurriedly walked to her desk and sat down. She tried to read her book. In her mind, she kept repeating like a mantra:

This engagement is fake. It’s fake.

Progress doesn’t matter. I have no intention of making any progress with Damian.

There’s no need to make progress.

* * * 

Although teleportation had been commercialized, it required the installation of gates and management offices, as well as large quantities of magic stones. As a result, even though it was nationalized under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, it was still quite expensive for commoners to use. Therefore, ordinary people usually used trains or carriages as means of transportation.

However, for the Dürman Duke, the wealthiest man in the Epiphanes Empire, the cost of teleportation was no more than candy money for children.

Duke Dürman, Calion von Dürman, walked out of the gate with an elegant gesture. Eddie, the capital’s gate attendant, described his impression of the duke that day, saying he looked as if he was going to war. It seemed as if a snowstorm was following behind the duke.

Outside the gate management office, a massive carriage showcasing the grandeur of the Dürman duchy was parked. The Dürman family crest was a roaring golden lion.

The townhouse butler bowed to Calion and opened the carriage door. Calion boarded the carriage with a fluid motion. Seated, he let out a deep sigh, rubbed his forehead, and closed his eyes. He recalled the events of last night when Eileen came running.

Calion had kissed his wife’s cheek after she fell asleep and forced himself to go to his study to work. He would have loved to roll around in bed with his wife, but life wasn’t that simple. He had too many responsibilities.

As Calion was working reluctantly again today, he sighed deeply while turning a page. At that moment, the door opened with an unusually loud noise.

“Dad!”

His eldest daughter, who had escaped to the academy, had always called him “father” since she was young. His second daughter had also been calling him “father” for quite some time as she grew up. That left only the youngest, but the new country’s child was asleep, and this voice wasn’t the youngest’s.

Calion looked up. Could it be his second daughter? Although he didn’t show it, Calion was moved. However, the emotion was short-lived.

“Big sister is engaged!”

At first, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Engaged? He had never once permitted his eldest daughter’s engagement. His second daughter’s following words shocked him even more.

“To Brother Damian!”